Save these dates and you can help save the earth

Published: Friday, January 11, 2013 at 05:34 PM.

Since I like to be organized and I like to make plans and it’s the start of a new year, I thought I would share some very important dates so you can get them onto your calendars.

We will be hosting four Household Hazardous Waste events again this year.

The site remains the same, 220 Leisure Lane, Dallas. This is in the Gaston County Park in Dallas, which is also home to the Citizens Resource Center, the Gaston County Animal Shelter, and the host park for Cotton Ginning Days, Dogtoberfest and many horse shows.

The hours will remain the same, from 8 to 11:30 a.m., and we will be accepting the same hazardous wastes - paints, solvents, cleaners, batteries, lawn chemicals, pesticides, aerosols, fluorescent and CFL bulbs, motor oil and oil filters.

This information is valuable because this allows you to plan to clean out storage buildings, garages, cabinets, sheds or any place else you may be holding on to hazardous products.

Our first event will be March 2, so for you spring cleaners, this date provides an early drop off for all the sorting you can do in the dull days of February.

The next date, April 20 , our pre-Earth Day event, gets into the spirit early with cleaning out unwanted materials to kick off your Earth Day celebrations.

Since I like to be organized and I like to make plans and it’s the start of a new year, I thought I would share some very important dates so you can get them onto your calendars.

We will be hosting four Household Hazardous Waste events again this year.

The site remains the same, 220 Leisure Lane, Dallas. This is in the Gaston County Park in Dallas, which is also home to the Citizens Resource Center, the Gaston County Animal Shelter, and the host park for Cotton Ginning Days, Dogtoberfest and many horse shows.

The hours will remain the same, from 8 to 11:30 a.m., and we will be accepting the same hazardous wastes - paints, solvents, cleaners, batteries, lawn chemicals, pesticides, aerosols, fluorescent and CFL bulbs, motor oil and oil filters.

This information is valuable because this allows you to plan to clean out storage buildings, garages, cabinets, sheds or any place else you may be holding on to hazardous products.

Our first event will be March 2, so for you spring cleaners, this date provides an early drop off for all the sorting you can do in the dull days of February.

The next date, April 20 , our pre-Earth Day event, gets into the spirit early with cleaning out unwanted materials to kick off your Earth Day celebrations.

We will host our next collection Sept. 21. Summer is over, time to sort through all the old lawn chemicals and pesticides, getting back on track from a lazy, crazy summer, and time to reduce the dangerous chemicals that have accrued in the garage. Maybe you have repainted parts of your home; keep those new paint cans, and get rid of the old colors!

Our last Household Hazardous Waste collection date is set for Nov. 2 , and by this date, summer and fall are over, time to think about the holidays, and find space for the new holiday stuff as you buy or make new, time to dispose of all the unnecessary hazards - batteries, fluorescent bulbs, cleaning supplies.

As you get rid of these items, think about better choices to replace them. You can buy cleaners that are EPA certified, Design for the Environment, (DfE), products are made from the best ingredients that will do zero to the least amount of harm to the environment. When you replace light bulbs, think about LED options. If that is a feasible choice, you will save energy, create less heat, and have a brighter light source.

Batteries? Almost all alkaline batteries can be replaced with rechargeable batteries. Rechargeable batteries eliminate the need to constantly replace and toss batteries which means less waste and better for the environment.

When possible, use latex paint. You eliminate the need for extra cleaners and solvents. Latex is cleaned up with water, and if you ever have excess latex paint, we accept latex paint every day at the Gaston County Landfill, 3155 Philadelphia Church Road, Dallas.

There are many herbal and natural substitutes for pesticides so before you replace any pesticides, take the time to research a natural option. One really helpful website, eartheasy.com, is easy to navigate, and offers lots of homemade remedies for most of the pesky critters that “bug” us.

Keep Gastonia Beautiful and Gaston County Solid Waste and Recycling will be hosting a second Shredding Event on Feb. 23 , from 8 a.m. to noon at the Gastonia Farmers Market, 410 E. Long Ave., Gastonia. Due to an overwhelming demand, we will be collecting and shredding personal papers that should not be tossed into your trash.